


Til Death Do Us Part

by jynx, snarkasaurus



Series: Servants of the Ring [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Blood, Blood Drinking, Bloodplay, Incest, M/M, Vampires, Vampirism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-08
Updated: 2013-06-08
Packaged: 2017-12-14 09:09:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/835181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jynx/pseuds/jynx, https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkasaurus/pseuds/snarkasaurus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Death leads to a lot of things...especially if you're a Durin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Til Death Do Us Part

**Author's Note:**

> Jynx: I'm eviler with an accomplice. >)
> 
> Snark: I kind of...complimented her into this. I'm so proud of myself. 
> 
> Disclaimer: we both went over this a few times, but both of us have been having rough weeks in multiple ways. Any spelling, grammar, or other errors are...well. A result of Real Life

It came out of nowhere. One moment Kili was crouching in the brush, concentrating on making the least amount of noise possible as he stalked the deer, and the next he was on his back, gasping for air as he drowned in his own blood. He managed to shout Fili's name before he couldn't speak anymore. The creature above him pressed its wrist to Kili's mouth, dribbling blood down his throat. He fought, trying to breathe through the thick liquid, but could only swallow and choke.

Fili let out an inarticulate cry of horror and rage, ripping the creature away from his brother. He made relatively short work of it, adrenaline fueling his movements until he was moving faster and slashing harder than he ever had before. He could hear Kili’s breath growing wet and shallow, and he wept to think he was losing the other half of his soul. 

He slashed one more time with his sword and was sprayed with cool--cool?--blood as the thing’s head rolled to one side, the body falling to the other. He let his sword fall to the ground with a clatter, and raced to his beloved brother. “Kili!” Fili dropped to the ground next to him, covered in gore. His hands hovered over his brother’s body, looking for a place to staunch the flow, any flow, oh Mahal, his _brother_. “Kili, don’t die, please...”

Kili reached out, grabbing Fili's hand and holding onto him weakly as blood gurgled out of his mouth. It dripped down the side of his face to pool inside his ear and his eyes slid closed. He could hear Fili and feel him, but it slowly faded away. There was nothing but the cold, unforgiving darkness, and he could do nothing to fight it back.

Fili watched his brother die. He _felt_ his brother die. He lifted his head and howled his anguish to the world. Kili couldn’t die. Kili was his other half, the one thing that made sense when nothing else did, the one part of his life that was never bad. 

And now he was gone. 

:::

Dwalin looked up from the fire as Fili came stumbling back into the light, holding a bloody bundle against his chest. Fili's blond beard was streaked with blood and his face was smeared with it. Dwalin stood, his hand reaching back for his axe, as Fili came closer.

"Where's Kili?" Thorin asked he stood.

Fili opened his mouth, but couldn’t speak. Instead, he just clutched his burden tighter, tears streaking down his cheeks. 

Dwalin could feel his heart breaking when he realized just what it was Fili was carrying. “Oh, lad,” he said with a long sigh. 

Thorin took one aborted step forward, and halted. “Fili...” 

Fili just closed his eyes and bowed his head. 

Dwalin grabbed a blanket and set it down on the ground. He gestured to Fili to come over with Kili.

Fili didn’t move. He couldn’t. They wanted him to put down his brother, his other half, his life, to let him go. How could he? 

"Lad..." Dwalin started, only to be silenced by Thorin as the king stepped forward, hugging Fili and Kili tight. Dwalin waited, watching, as uncle and brother mourned quietly and glanced at the ground. It was a true shame, losing Kili so soon past his majority. 

When Thorin stepped away from Fili, he had Kili in his arms.

Fili, his burden taken from him, sank to his knees. His head drooped, his tears coursing freely down his cheeks. HIs brother was dead. Gone. Growing cold. His heart was dead. 

Dwalin took Kili from Thorin, wrapping him in the blanket as he took in the young prince's wounds. His throat was torn out, blood staining his mouth, chin, throat, and chest. It had not been a clean death, nor an honorable one. He turned Kili's head gently, cupping the back as he undid the silver clasp that had held back his hair. He set it down and wrapped Kili in the blanket, being as respectful as he could with the body. He stood, turning to look at Thorin and Fili, as Thorin had pulled Fili close to him and rocked him slowly as if Fili were still a babe.

Fili didn’t resist. He cried, though. Oh, how he cried, curling into Thorin and releasing all of his pain. When he could eventually look up, his eyes went immediately to Kili’s still body. He wanted...he didn’t know what he wanted, except to have his brother back. “I’ll stay with him,” he choked out. “In vigil.” 

“After we get you both back to Ered Luin,” Dwalin said. “We should lay your brother to rest properly.”

Thorin nodded, wiping his eyes with a hand. “Aye. We should start back as soon as the sun begins to rise.”

Fili crawled to Kili’s body and laid down next to him. He pulled his brother close, and closed his eyes. “Okay,” he said quietly. 

:::

They brought Kili back to Ered Luin that morning, laying him to rest deep in the stone of the mountain. They cleaned the blood off him and bathed his body and hair with sweet smelling oils. Fili helped them dress Kili in new clothes and braid his hair. Kili’s clip lay in Fili’s pocket, Dwalin having given it to him when they had woken in the morning. 

Fili knelt before Kili’s tomb. Thorin watched him, concerned for his nephew. Ever since Kili had been born, they had been inseparable. To have them parted now, by death, was cruel. “We shall have to watch him,” he murmured to Dwalin. 

Dwalin nodded and glanced at Fili before stepping out into the hall. “We should give them today at the very least. It’s gotta hurt, losing Kili like this. As much as it hurts for us, for Fili, it must be worse.”

Thorin rubbed his hand over his face, thinking. “I think you’re right. He needs to be able to say goodbye, in his own way.” He crossed to Fili and knelt next to him. “We will be back for you Grieve as you need.” He wanted to say more. He tried to say more, but all he could do was run his hand over his nephew’s golden hair before walking away again. What else _was_ there to say?

Too much did this remind him of before, of Frerin’s death, of Dis kneeling before that tomb. He left, going down the hall without waiting for Dwalin to follow him.

Fili stayed where he was for a long time. He couldn’t move. He was going to die here. Right here, waiting for his Kili to come back to him. He stayed where he was for the whole day and well into the night. And as the moon climbed in the sky, Fili heard the sound of fingers scrabbling against stone and then the sound of stone moving against stone.

He moved before he knew what he was doing, moving the stone away from the top of the tomb. “KIli?” he whispered, hoping, even though it was illogical. His brother was dead, how could he be moving inside his tomb? And yet... He pushed, desperate to see his brother again.

Kili opened his aching eyes, mouth burning. He could hear his brother, his heart and his blood, pumping and beating and singing such sweet songs. He groaned, turning his head against the stone and biting his lip. He let go as the iron taste of blood flooded his mouth. Yes, that. That’s what he needed. He grabbed the edges of his tomb and pulled himself into a sitting position.

“Fili,” he said, his voice hoarse and low.

FIli froze for the briefest instant, and then surged forward, tearing at the tomb with his bare hands. “Kili! Kili, Kili, Kili,” he chanted, scrapping his fingers raw to get to his brother. He was leaving streaks of blood behind on the gray stone, but he didn’t care. 

Kili groaned, licking his lips at the scent of Fili’s blood. He reached out to Fili, letting the other embrace him, and nuzzled his neck. FIli smelled so good. He could hear the blood calling to him, to take it, to drink his brother dry, to drink and drink until he was sated, but it was Fili. He couldn’t kill Fili.

But maybe he could make Fili like himself.

FIli clung to his brother. “You were dead,” he said, his voice ragged and cracking. “You were dead and you left me and I couldn’t feel you.” Kili’s nuzzles felt so good, so sweet against his skin, but cold. Cold, like that creature’s blood had been. “You...Kee?”

"Hungry, Fee, so hungry," Kili groaned, clinging to Fili. He opened his mouth, dragging his flat teeth against Fili's adam's apple and swallowed dryly as a second set of teeth lowered.

Fili felt his cock fill and moaned. He tilted his head without even thinking. His brother had a need, he would fill it. “Take, Kili. Take what you need.”

Kili licked his lips, his tongue rubbing against the new teeth, and then bit down on his lip. There was blood, cold and slightly sludgish, but blood. He leaned in and kissed Fili, bleeding into his mouth. He pulled away once there was enough blood in Fili's mouth and his brother had swallowed. He nuzzled Fili again, hands buried in Fili's blond hair, and bit down under the hinge of Fili's jaw, drinking his brother in, a far more intimate and permanent sharing than sex could have been.

Fili moaned around the blood in his mouth, simultaneously repulsed and turned on by it. He lapped at his brother’s tongue for as long as he was allowed, fingers tight in Kili’s tunic. “Kee,” he moaned. The touch, the blood, and everything else was... sharp teeth cut through his lust haze, and he cried out, even while his arms tightened around Kili’s body. 

Kili drank and drank, greedy and hungry, the blood dripping down his chin, as he pulled Fili into the tomb with him. He curled around Fili, leaching his warmth and feeling the blood make its way through his body. He felt warm, tingly, loved, and he moaned as he pulled away. He licked at the wounds he made, watching with interest as they closed after he licked them, and pet Fili's hair. His brother was limp against him, his chest still and his eyes closed, but Kili moved him into a comfortable position. He looked around and saw the slab that covered his tomb and brought it up to cover them.

In the dark, he nuzzled close to Fili and waited. He played with Fili's hair, stroking his braids, and closed his eyes to wait out the time until Fili rose.

:::

It was slow, and it started with the absence of sound. Fili could feel Kili's body against his, could smell him, but there was no heartbeat, no real warmth, nothing to suggest life. 

He realized he didn't have any of those things either. And that he was raging with a hunger the likes of which he had never known before. 

"Kili," he moaned, pressing tight against his brother. 

"Fili," Kili said with glee. He leaned over him in the enclosed space and kissed him, hands grabbing at his chin and braids. It was a rough kiss, full of tongue and fangs and a tiny bit of blood. "You're awake! I was waiting for you, brother. I missed you." 

He was rather preoccupied by touching Fili, making sure he was all there with him in the tomb. He knew it but he hadn't touched it and he had always enjoyed touching Fili's body.

Fili found himself growling, returning Kili's kisses and touches with interest. "I am so _hungry_ ," he snarled and bit Kili's lip with his new teeth, drawing blood.

Kili moaned, kissing him back, trading the taste of blood. "I think there's a guard out front. We could eat him."

Fili rocked against his brother, rubbing their erections together. "Yes. Yes, we can share him. I need his blood."

Kili whimpered, toying with the clasps on Fili's tunic. He twisted away, pushing the heavy stone slab above them off and sent it clattering to the ground as if it were made of nothing. He grinned at Fili as he heard swearing outside and the sound of the door opening. He hopped out of the tomb, crouching down in the shadows and waited for Fili to make his move. 

Fili watched from the depths of the tomb as the guard came into the room. “Fili, why are you in the tomb?” he asked, sound horrified. “You shouldn’t...”

“Shouldn’t what?” Fili asked, creeping forward. “There are many things I shouldn’t do. I don’t care about any of them.” 

The guard stopped. Perhaps he had sense enough to fear for his life, or perhaps there was something he saw that scared him. Fili crept forward a little farther. “Fili...” 

“You have many questions, I know,” Fili said, somehow keeping control of himself. This guard would never leave, but he knew, somehow, to drag this out. He slid out of the tomb, letting the guard see his teeth, the new way he was moving, all the signs that he was no longer alive. “It’s too bad you will never know their answer.” 

Kili saw the guard turning to run and moved, blocking the door with his body, loving the new speed of his body. He raised his arms, baring his fangs, and grinned at the guard. The poor dwarf looked panicked, looking back at Fili and forward at Kili.

“You’re dead,” the guard said, looking at Kili with fear. “You’re both dead, aren’t you?”

Kili looked over the guard’s shoulder as Fili came closer, blocking the guard between their bodies. “We’ve been reborn,” Kili said. “And we’re hungry. So very hungry. You’ll help us, won’t you? You’ll feed us.”

The guard’s eyes widened and his mouth opened to shout. Kili put his hand over his mouth as Fili grabbed him, pulling his head back by his hair, and sank his fangs into the man’s throat. The guard tried to fight, tried to get away, but Kili pressed in close, keeping the guard between him and Fili, and leaned down, biting down on the other side of the Guard’s throat, sharing this meal with Fili.

The blood ran down his throat hot and thick, and it sated his hunger in a way he had never experienced. Fili took deep draught after deep draught, listening to the struggle of the dwarf’s heart, his brother’s feeding on the other side of him. He was careful not to waste a drop, even though instinct was telling him to tear and rip and bathe in this blood. He wanted every drop inside of himself that he could have. 

When the guard’s heart slowed to a stop, Fili took one last swallow and raised his head, licking his lips with a tongue that he knew had to be bright red. He watched Kili’s dark head, waited for his brother to stop feeding, so he could chase the taste of blood in his mouth. 

Kili withdrew from the guard’s neck, licking his lips and his fangs, letting the guard drop to the ground as he looked at Fili. His brother was bloodstained and gorgeous. He stepped forward, pulling Fili in for a kiss, licking into his mouth and the sweet, iron taste of blood and Fili. He moaned, pressing close and wrapping himself around Fili. He tugged at Fili’s clothes, wanting like he’d never wanted before.

Fili tore at Kili’s clothes as he devoured his brother’s mouth. He tasted so good, rich with blood and lust. Their clothes finally out of the way, he slotted their hips together and rocked, growling at the pleasure. “Need you,” he said, biting at Kili’s mouth, hands sliding down to cup Kili’s ass and pull him tight against Fili’s body. 

Kili moaned as they rocked against each other. He kissed Fili, moaning into his mouth as someone’s fangs ripped lips and blood flooded their mouths. He moved his hands down, letting FIli keep them close as he wrapped his hand down around both of their cocks. He gasped, stroking them as he kissed Fili. 

“Why haven’t we done this before?” he asked, licking Fili’s fangs. 

“Because we were cowards,” Fili said, and sucked Kili’s tongue into his mouth. “But no longer. I will have you, brother. You are mine for life.” He rolled his hips, thrusting into Kili’s hand. 

Kili growled, hand moving faster, wanting to feel Fili come as he stroked them. The blood and the taste of his brother and the feelings and the speed and just...Fili. It was only Fili and everything was Fili. Kili nibbled along Fili’s chin and neck and bit Fili as he came, spilling over his hand as he kept stroking Fili.

Fili wasn’t far behind. it was different, more intense, deeper, but it was perfect. He thrust into Kili’s hand one, two more times and then spilling all over them both. He buried his face in Kili’s neck, biting and sucking at the skin.

“I’m still hungry,” he said quietly. “I want more blood.”

Kili nibbled along his neck, his fangs retracting. “You want to hunt?” he asked, bringing a hand up to lick at their come. “We should hunt. I’m hungry too, Fee. So hungry...” He looked behind them at the door. “We could go out, you know, find someone to eat. Maybe several someones.”

“Yessss,” Fili hissed, feeling the surge through his body as he became alert and tight with anticipation. “Yes, let’s hunt. Let’s feed. Several someones, I think. I am so hungry...” Fili kissed Kili one last time and took his hand, pulling him down, into the hall, to where they knew people would be waiting for them to feed.

::: 

“We haven’t seen Fili in two days,” Dwalin told Thorin. “It’s not healthy for him to be down there for so long.”

“It’s his brother,” Thorin said softly. “You remember how I was with Frerin. It’s hard, losing your younger brother. We should make allowances for his grief.”

“The guard I posted outside the tomb is gone,” Dwalin said. “No one can find him.”

“You think Fili had something to do with it?” Thorin said with a frown.

“Who knows,” Dwalin said. “But if folk are going missing then we should keep an eye on the prince.”

Thorin nodded and stood. “We will check on him, to make sure he is all right, but we will leave him alone. We need to let him grieve.”

The pair of them went to the tomb, to see. Dwalin had no idea what he thought they’d find, but shattered rock wasn’t it. “Something is wrong,” he said quietly. 

Thorin looked down the length of the tombs. “Something is very wrong,” he agreed. He followed some indefinable instinct and headed to the right. 

Dwalin followed, pulling his axe. There was something in the air that had him on edge, wondering if they did something very, very wrong by leaving the boys alone for as long as they did. 

They continued down the hallway, slow and wary, as they started to see signs of struggles and smudges of blood on the walls. Dwalin stepped in front of Thorin, axe raised as they continued further down the hallway until they saw two bodies slumped on the floor. Thorin knelt down next to one, checking the body for wounds.

“Dwalin,” Thorin murmured, showing the puncture wounds in the dwarf’s throat. 

“You don’t think,” Dwalin started. 

Thorin frowned and stood. “It’s possible. Kili was savaged but it is possible.”

“You think he...ate these people?” Dwalin asked. “What happened to Fili then?”

Thorin shook his head and shrugged as they continued down the hall. They finally came to the end where they found two naked, blood covered bodies crouched and feeding over another body. Dwalin swore as he looked at them, noticing the blond hair still back in its silver clip and the loose brown hair.

“Fili? Kili?” Thorin asked, voice cracking. 

Fili hissed and looked up, moving into a defensive stance. He could have been protecting his kill or his brother, or both; it was impossible to tell. 

Thorin made a guttural sound that went through Dwalin. “You are...you are dead.”

Fili’s eyes cleared. “Uncle!” He stood, mindless of his naked, bloody state. 

Kili looked up, mouth smeared, and darted over to Thorin, wrapping himself around him. “Uncle!” he cheered, nuzzling into Thorin’s hair like he had when he was a child. “I’ve missed you.”

Fili was there with Kili in an instant, also hugging Thorin. The two were nuzzling and hugging Thorin, completely uncaring of the blood and mess they were making. Dwalin had gone over to examine the body they’d been feeding on and frowned when he saw the face. He went back and checked the other two bodies while Thorin held the boys and tried to get them to calm down and saw the others’ faces.

All of the victims were ones who had sneered at Fili and Kili.

He went back to Thorin and watched as Fili and Kili tried nuzzling at Thorin’s neck and Thorin pushed them away. Kili made a hurt noise in the back of his throat, pouting. 

“You’re filthy,” Thorin found himself saying, trying not to weep. “Look at yourselves.” 

Fili looked over at Kili, and grinned. He let go of Thorin and wrapped his arms around Kili and started licking the blood off his face. 

Dwalin went to stand behind Thorin, protecting his back. “The dead, Thorin...these were not random attacks. These were deliberate.”

Kili laughed and licked back at Fili, cleaning his brother and pressing close against him as he did. The two of them were touching and licking and cleaning each other, hands stroking and twining together.

Thorin looked at the boys and then back at Dwalin. “They might not be aware of what they did.”

“Or they knew perfectly well,” Dwalin said. He still had his axe out, lowered, but still ready to protect his king if he had to, even if it meant killing boys he’d helped raise and teach, boys who were as dear to him as sons.

“That’s something we can find out easily,” Thorin said. “Boys,” he called out. “What happened to these men?”

Fili tilted his head at Thorin as Kili licked his cheek clean of blood. “What do you mean?”

Thorin frowned slightly. “These men are dead. Why?”

Fili still gave him a quizzical look. “They are dead. They were bad. We were hungry. They tasted good.”

Kili giggled and hid his face against Fili’s neck. “They tasted good. They tasted very good.”

Fili grinned, his hands going down to grab Kili’s ass and keep his brother close against him.

“How were they bad?” Thorin asked.

“They spread such bad rumors about us,” Fili said.

“They said that we were too close,” Kili said, tipping his head back to look at Thorin upside down, still locked around Fili. “We weren’t then but we are now. And they had to be stopped from talking. And we were so hungry, Uncle, and they were so tastey.”

Thorin glanced at Dwalin and then back at the boys. He rubbed a hand over his face. “You both are still so young,” he sighed. “So young.”

“I’m forty-two!” Kili protested. “I’m old enough.”

Fili hushed him, pulling him upright and kissing his cheek and nuzzling his hair. “Of course we’re old enough.”

“You’ll...never be any older,” Thorin said. It was hitting him, finally, what had happened to his nephews.

Dwalin shook his head, holstering his axe. He went over to them and pulled them apart, not listening to their protests. “You two are a filthy mess. You are going to get clean and presentable.”

Fili hissed at him, and moving faster than anyone expected, broke away from Dwalin and wound himself back around Kili. “Do not do that again, Dwalin. Your position as our friend and beloved teacher will not protect you.”

Thorin frowned. “Fili, you may...have a new approach to life, but that does not give you leave to threaten Dwalin.” 

Fili glared for a moment, but eventually, he nodded his head at Dwalin. “I apologize.”

Kili kissed Fili’s cheek, relaxing against him. “We can never be separated now,” he said, a smug little smile on his face. “We’re one now.”

“Always together,” Fili said happily.

“The two of you are like bloody puppies,” Dwalin said. “I would think the two of you would want to clean up before seeing your mother and letting her know that you two are both fine.”

Fili’s eyes lit up. “Mother?” 

“Yes, your mother. She has been...” Thorin searched for a word to describe Dis’s mental state. 

“Bereft?” offered Dwalin. 

“That will do,” Thorin said with a sigh. “Clean is a good start, boys. Then we can...discuss what to do.” 

Fili smirked. “As long as you understand that now you cannot separate us, all will be well.”

“I wanna see Mother,” Kili said, tugging on Fili’s hair. “When can we see her?”

“You need to get clean first,” Dwalin said. He stayed where he was, not daring to move closer in case either prince decided to attack. “Will you come with me to get clean while Thorin goes to see your mother?”

The two princes nodded, separating enough that they would walk on their own but holding hands to keep themselves together. Dwalin tilted his head toward the hall and started to lead them to the public baths. It would be easier than having water sent up to their rooms and also easier to get rid of the bloody water once they were done. He heard them following and went into the chamber, chasing out anyone who was in there before ushering the princes in and pointing to a larger tub where they could both fit.

The two climbed into the warm water, gravitating toward each other, as they slowly and methodically cleaned each other. Dwalin stood guard by the door, making sure no one would come in as well as keeping a close eye on the two. He had no idea how Thorin and Dis were going to deal with this. His own heart was breaking as he watched the two. They were vampires now, servants of the dark, and they lived off the blood of others. Once word got out they would be forced to kill them. No one would stand to see vampires amongst them.

:::

Thorin stared at the fire from the opposite side he usually would have. He found himself loathe to leave his back to the door, and that, possibly more than anything else, made him sad. Well, no. Not anything else. HIs nephews were worse than dead, and he was going to have to kill them. No one would suffer them to live here. 

“I know what you are thinking,” Dis said quietly, “and if you try, I will kill you.”

Thorin turned to look at her. “They are a danger, Dis. You didn’t see the bodies or how we found them. I woudn’t have told you at all, except--”

“You’re aware that I would have killed you.” Dis’s tone never changed. 

Thorin gave her a wary look. “I know they are your sons. I love them, too, but they are dangerous.” He would have said more, but the door opened and Kili and Fili tumbled through making a bee line for their mother. 

"Ma!" Kili shouted cheerfully, colliding with her and wrapping her up in a big hug. Fili was right behind him, hugging Dis from the other side. They were clothed and cleaned, both boys looking as proper as they had before. One would never know what they were if they didn't see them feed. Kili had tangled his fingers through Dis's hair and pressed close, Fili kissing Dis's cheek and hugging her around the waist. Dis was holding them close, tears sliding down her face as she murmured words of love in Khuzdul to her children. 

Thorin watched, rubbing his itching nose, as Dwalin came to stand next to him. "They behaved?"

"They're like puppies," Dwalin said. "Same as ever and just as exuberant."

"What are we going to do?" Thorin asked softly. "If anyone finds out..."

"Do they have to know?" Dwalin asked. "Look at them, they're exactly the same as they were before. Just a little..."

"Looser in morals?" Thorin suggested.

"Accurate," Dwalin said. "And more obvious about how they feel about each other. Aside from that, you can't tell. That might be a boon."

“So what do we do with them?” Thorin asked with a sigh. “Dis already threatened my life if I threatened theirs.” 

Dwalin gave him an amused look. “You knew she would, so why did you mention it?” 

“Because I couldn’t do that to her,” Thorin said. 

Dis looked over at them. “Use them,” she said quietly. 

"Use them?" Thorin asked. "Use them how?"

Dwalin stroked his beard. "Aye, that might work. Think about the tales, Thorin. They were made to be servants. Not like our princes will let anyone tell them what to do but those who hold grudges against us or try to harm us..."

Thorin looked at the boys, both still wrapped around Dis and watching him with predatory stillness. Thorin had to wonder just how sharp all their senses now were. "We've already held Kili's funeral."

"Say it was a mistake," Dis said. "Some sort of poison from the animal that made it seem like he was dead."

Thorin couldn’t think of a single way that this would end well. Still, the looks on Dis’s face, on the boys’, even Dwalin’s, suggested he didn’t have much of a choice. “Fili, Kili, can you control yourselves?”

Fili gave him a bright smile. The effect was ruined by the sharp fangs clearly visible. “Depends on what you mean by behave,” he said. “Because we are hungry, nor will we suffer fools to live.” 

“Fili,” Dis said firmly. “You must not kill at random.” 

"But what if we're hungry?" Kili asked.

"Will you feed us?" Fili asked. "Even if you run out of dwarves you want disposed of?"

"We will make sure you are fed," Thorin said.

The look both boys pinned him with was chilling, and Thorin felt as though he was staring at the most lethal predator he had ever been around. “You are our uncle,” Fili said. “We love you. That remembered love is the only thing saving your life.”

Dis frowned. “Remembered love?”

Fili looked at her. “You are our mother. You gave us life. You will always be safe.” He said no more, implying no one else was. 

Kili pulled away from Dis to drape himself along Fili's back. "Family is always safe. We love you. Family is everything. You taught us that."

"Thorin," Dis said, turning to her brother and stepping between him and her sons. "Think about what it means to have them like this. We can make good out of this bad. They can help us defeat those who would do harm to us, and think about it. When you go to take back Erebor it would be smart to have their help in this."

Kili was nuzzling at Fili, playing with his braids, while watching Thorin. Fili had not taken his eyes off his uncle. It was unnerving, as they intended it to be. Thorin glanced at Dis and Dwalin and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"All right," he said.


End file.
